CHAR-KOOSTA
Newspaper of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
VOLUME 13 NUMBER 19
THE SHOOTING MONTH
Amendments seek to moderize Tribal Constitution
Tribal voters will be asked to change their 50-year-old Constitution in about a month
The document which came about when the Tribes became the first in the US to incorporate under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, was last successfully amended in 1960. Sub-
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs.
sequent attempts- in the mid-'70s, 1979 and 1983 ~ were unsuccessful either due to voter disapproval or lack of Department of Interior approval
The proposed changes to be voted on February 23 are explained below by the Tribes' attorneys The exact wording of the amendments and the list of polling places are given in the BIA election notice on page two.
Six district meetings have been scheduled for the next several weeks so the membership can meet with Tribal and BIA officials and ask questions about the issue Please see the schedule below. The meetings have also been noted on the February calendar in this issue for the membership's convenience.
"In the light of recent court cases which have recognized the self-government powers of Indian tribes, we need to update our own Constitution that was written in 1935," note the attorneys. "Some parts of our Constitution
are not very clear in certain areas
"The proposed amendments scheduled to be voted on February23,1985, affect only Article VI, which describes the powers and duties of the Tribal Council. These amendments simply intend to make the language more clear and consistent
"The needs of modern government require that such important laws not be confusing or vague In order to meet the needs of the people and keep up with the requirements of modern government, a living document like the Tribal Constitution must be updated from time to time
AMENDMENT A "This amendment was written in language which better explains and facilitates the Tribes' revenue-raising authority necessary to offset the costs of services being provided to people doing business on the Reservation or
(Continues on page two)
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Constitution district meeting schedule
Tribal and BIA officials will be visiting six communities between January 30 and February 20 to answer questions about the proposed constitutional a-mendments:
Hot Springs: Wednesday, January 30, 1985, at the Bowling Alley.
Pablo/Ronart Thursday, January 31, at the Tribal Complex
St Ignatius: Thursday, February 7, at
the Community Center.
Arlee/Dixon Wednesday, February 13, at the Salish Senior Citizens Center.
Elmo Thursday, February 14 at Koostahtah HalL
Poison Wednesday, February 20, at the Flathead Lake Senior Citizens' Center.
All meetings will begin at6:00 p.m. and sandwiches and salads will be served